Alaska’s lucky charm

Alaska coach Tim Cone is smiling again – thanks to Aces import Ron Riley.

After a horrifying 0-5 start in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Governors Cup, the Aces are back in business. They’ve won three in a row since Riley took over from Dexter Boney who’d taken over from Sean Chambers.

Tonight, Riley faces his biggest test as Alaska goes for four straight in a game against defending champion San Miguel Beer. The duel has the makings of a classic. Both clubs are on a roll. San Miguel is coming off back-to-back wins after losing four consecutive decisions in a rare tailspin. A win will put the Aces on equal footing with the Beermen who’ll drop to 4-5 with a loss.

Chambers played Alaska’s first games before deciding to hang up his sneakers. Boney came in as his replacement but alas, had problems holding down his blood pressure. The medication he took left him dehydrated and after two outings, followed Chambers back to the US.

Then came Riley.

Cone said he never imagined Riley to be what he is. "I picked him up at the airport and knew from the start, he was different," related Cone. "He reminds me of an Ivy Leaguer – the way he speaks, what he talks about, even the way he dresses, you know, preppy-like. He’s very talkative off the court, he’ll talk to you for hours, if he’s got the time, and he may not know you that well. He’s intelligent – it shows in the way he plays. Once he’s on the court, he turns into a completely different person – serious, quiet, focused."

Cone said Riley is like Bobby Parks in many ways. "They’re both very smart," he continued. "Ron won’t score like Bobby used to because the game has changed so much but they’re cut in the same mold."

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In Riley’s PBA debut, he struggled offensively and shot a poor 7-of-22 from the field. He compiled 18 points, nine rebounds, and five assists in a no-relief job as Alaska beat Tanduay, 96-92, in overtime last Oct. 6. A soft spot was Riley’s eight turnovers. But the bottom line was the Aces won, snapping their five-game losing skein.

Riley collected 29 points (11-of-26 field goals and 7-of-11 foul shots), seven rebounds, three assists, and five turnovers in his second appearance as Alaska upset Red Bull, 86-81, last Oct. 10.

Last Wednesday, Riley outdid himself as he poured in 30 points (14-of-26 field goals and 2-of-4 free throws) to lift Alaska to a 108-102 decision over Purefoods. He also had seven rebounds, four assists, two steals, three blocked shots, and only two turnovers.

Against Purefoods, Riley’s one-on-one defense on Derrick Brown sucked but Cone wasn’t worried. "No one can stop Brown one-on-one," said Cone. "Brown was Don’s (Allado) man and we brought in Ron as a second defensive option." Still, it was evident that Riley’s weak point is defense.

Basketball Almanac described Riley as "very athletic, a slashing wing player who finishes plays with authority" and said he "can beat defenders down the floor in transition (but) is not nearly as comfortable in the halfcourt setting."

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Riley, 27, played four years at Arizona State under coach Bill Frieder and wound up his career as the Sun Devils varsity’s all-time leading scorer with 1,834 points. Among the prominent Arizona State alumni were pros Byron Scott, Ike Austin, Lionel Hollins, Fat Lever, and former Pop Cola import Stevin Smith.

Frieder called Riley the "key to Arizona State’s offense." He added, "(Riley) was invaluable, he was our go-to guy … you could count on him and he made a lot of big plays and big baskets."

As a freshman in 1992-93, he averaged 13 points and knocked in 66 treys. The Sun Devils posted an 18-10 record and marked Smith’s final year with the varsity. The next season, Riley started in 26 of 28 games, hit at a 14.2 clip, and shot 30.4 percent from three-point range. In 1994-95, he buried 80-of-222 triples, averaged 16 points, and led the varsity to a 24-9 record and a spot in the NCAA Sweet 16. Riley averaged 21.7 points and 7.7 rebounds in three NCAA Tournament games that season. As a senior, he scored 20.1 points a game and shot 38.9 percent from the field and 72 percent from the line.

Riley was the Seattle SuperSonics’ second round pick in the 1996 National Basketball Association (NBA) draft. He never made it to the majors and suited up for the Rockford Lightning in the Continental league before barnstorming Europe, specifically Belgium (playing for the Brother Gent club) and Austria.

Cone said Riley, a bachelor, hasn’t given up on his dream of someday playing in the NBA. The last three years, Riley’s been among the final cuts of the Indiana Pacers. Maybe, after a strong showing in the PBA, Riley might get an invitation from an NBA team to play – who knows, Alaska could turn out to be his springboard to big-time hoops.

And Riley might just turn out to be Alaska’s lucky charm.